Vancouver Island man frustrated by long wait for cancer surgery

A Vancouver Island man with liver cancersays he's frustrated by the long wait to have his surgery scheduled.

Wolf Clarhas a tumour that needs to be removed. He was hoping to be given a surgery date a month ago, but he's still waiting.

"I can't get on with my life because I don't want to miss the phone call," he told CBC News. "I'm feeling fed up with it."

The Clar family was referred to Dr. DarrenBiberdorf,a surgical oncologistin Victoria. Biberdorf said the delay is partly dueto the nature of the surgery needed by Clar, which requires two surgeons.

Biberdorfalsosaid the fall is a particularly challenging time to schedule surgeries because there is a backlog ofdemand resulting fromoperating rooms functioning atbelowcapacity during the summer due to lower staffing levels.

"This is an ongoing issue," he said. "We're always challenged with not enough operating time."

But Andrew Longhurst, a researcher with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, believesthe problem stems from the fact that surgical services aren't scheduled through a centralized system.

"In B.C.wait lists are managed by an individual surgeon's office and not by the health authority," he said. "So that's why we have incredible inefficiencies and lack of coordinaton."

Longhurst said there isa need for a national framework to reduce wait times.

With files from Ash Kelly